Barbican Centre

Golden Lane London EC1Y 8DL

The Barbican is a sprawling arts centre in the City of London which offers a world-class programme of dance, film, theatre, visual arts and music. It is also home to the London Symphony Orchestra. During the Second World War, the area was left devastated by bombing and by the early 1950s less than 100 people lived nearby. In the 1960s, fresh optimism for the arts sparked the idea to redevelop the site; construction began in the 1970s and the centre opened in 1982. The brutalist architecture is now Grade II listed and it’s an interesting building to wander around even when not coming to see a performance or exhibition. Grab a coffee and sit out on the Lakeside Terrace or visit the rooftop tropical conservatory on Sundays for a real treat.